UK Terrorism-related
arrests and trials increase as number of far-right extremists
reported to Prevent programme grows by 30%20.6.17
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| | TweetThe number
of arrests for terrorism-related offences in the UK jumped to
304 in the year ending March 2017, an increase of 18% on the
previous year, while the number of completed trials for terrorism-related
offences completed in the same period increased by 55%, from
51 to 79.

The change "was driven
by an increase in arrests of people from 'white' ethnic groups,"
according to the Home Office, while a report in The Independent
has revealed that "the number of suspected far-right extremists
flagged to the Governments key anti-terror programme soared
by 30 per cent in the past year."

The Home Office statistics
also show that the use of powers under section 41 of the Terrorism
Act 2000 allowing pre-charge detention of up to 14 days has decreased
significantly over the last decade.

"Since the year
ending March 2007, there has been a decreasing proportion of
arrests conducted under s.41 of TACT 2000 [Terrorism Act 2000]
for terrorism-related offences. This power allows for the police
to detain a suspect for a longer period of time than permitted
under standard powers of arrest (currently a maximum of 14 days,
compared with 4 days under standard powers). In the year ending
March 2017, 2 in 10 arrests for terrorism-related offences were
conducted under s.41 of TACT 2000, compared with around 9 in
10 arrests a decade ago."

And:

"The increase in
the total number of arrests for terrorism-related offences was
driven by an increase in arrests of people from White
ethnic groups. In the year ending March 2017, there were 113
arrests of White people, compared with 68 in the
year ending March 2016 (an increase of 66%). The White
ethnic group accounted for 37% of all terrorism-related arrests
in the latest year, compared with 26% in the previous year."

"The number of
suspected far-right extremists flagged to the Governments
key anti-terror programme soared by 30 per cent in the past year,
The Independent has learnt.

The dramatic rise can
be revealed after Muslim worshippers were mowed down outside
a north London mosque in the early hours of Monday morning by
a man driving a van in what police described as a terrorist attack.

(...)

The Governments
counter-terror Prevent scheme  championed by the Prime
Minister during her time as Home Secretary  has been criticised
amid claims it has focused disproportionately on Islamic terrorism.

But just under a third
of all people being monitored under the Channel programme in
2016/17 part of the Prevent terror prevention scheme 
believe in extreme right-wing ideologies and are vulnerable to
radicalisation, according to unpublished Home Office figures.
The figure rose from 25 per cent in 2015/16."

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